Solicitud directa (CEACR) - Adopción: 2006, Publicación: 96ª reunión CIT (2007)

Convenio sobre el medio ambiente de trabajo (contaminación del aire, ruido y vibraciones), 1977 (núm. 148) - Suecia (Ratificación : 1978)

1. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s report and the attached legislation.

2. Article 4 of the Convention. National legislation. The Committee notes with interest the numerous legislative measures undertaken and notes with respect to air pollution the adoption of the Provisions on occupational exposure limit values and measures against air contaminants (AFS 2005:17). It also notes the adoption of the Provisions on microbiological risks in the working environment: infections, toxic effects and hyper sensitivity (AFS 2005:1). The Committee also refers to its comments of this year under the Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139). With respect to noise and vibration at the workplace, the Committee notes with interest the adoption of the Provisions on noise (AFS 2005:16) and Provisions on vibrations (AFS 2005:15) providing exposure limits for noise and vibration. It further notes the Government’s statement that exposure limits are regularly revised in the light of current national and international knowledge. It also notes that regulations have been issued concerning personal protective equipment (AFS 2001:3) and notes the Government’s statement that with respect to air pollution, preventive measures shall always be taken to ensure that these exposure limits are not exceeded and if that is not possible, the protective equipment shall be used as a last resort. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on measures taken to supplement and revise the exposure limits for air pollution, noise and vibration in the working environment.

3. Article 6, paragraph 2. Two or more employers undertaking activities simultaneously at one workplace. The Committee requests the Government to provide additional information in its next report on measures taken to ensure that whenever two or more employers undertake activities simultaneously at one workplace, they have the duty to collaborate in order to apply measures adopted with respect to air pollution, noise and vibration at the workplace.

4. Article 11, paragraphs 1 and 2. Medical examinations. The Committee notes that AFS 2005:17, AFS 2005:16, AFS 2005:15 and Provisions on medical examinations in working life (AFS 2005:6) provide that medical examinations are free of cost to the worker concerned. However, the Committee notes that section 16 of AFS 2005:16 and section 12 of AFS 2005:15 provide that employers shall offer medical examinations when there are reasons to believe that harmful effects to health may occur from noise and vibrations. The Committee recalls that the competent authority should determine the conditions and circumstances under which such supervision is to be provided under the Convention and that supervision is also to include a pre-assignment medical examination and periodical examinations thereafter. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on which body constitutes the competent authority and to indicate particulars of the circumstances determined by the competent authority in which supervision of the health of workers required in order to ensure that workers exposed or liable to be exposed to occupational hazards due to air pollution, noise and vibration are provided with pre-assignment and periodical examinations thereafter, free of cost to the worker concerned.

5. Article 11, paragraphs 3 and 4. Alternative employment or other measures offered for maintaining income where continued assignment to work involving exposure to air pollution, noise and vibration is medically inadvisable. The Committee notes that the Government does not provide any information in this respect and therefore requests the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on measures taken to ensure alternative employment for workers who, for health reasons, are required to discontinue work with air pollution, noise or vibration, or measures taken or envisaged to enable them to maintain their income otherwise through social security.

6. Article 12. Competent authority. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the responsible authority for noise is the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and that the National Board of Occupational Safety and Health (Arbetsmiljöverket) has been renamed “the Work Environment Authority”. The Committee asks the Government to provide additional information in its next report on any measures taken or envisaged by the authorities in relation to air pollution, noise and vibration in the working environment.

7. Article 16 and Part IV of the report form. Labour inspection. The Committee requests the Government to provide in its next report extracts from labour inspection services reports, statistics on the number of workers covered by the legislation disaggregated by gender, if available, the number and nature of contraventions reported, as well as any other information allowing the Committee to assess more accurately how the Convention is applied in practice in the country.